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Posted by Martisimo on February 05, 2003 at 10:42:41:
In Reply to: Smokey has diabeties posted by stormgirl_lp on February 04, 2003 at 20:01:58:
I'm not familiar with Smokey, how old he is, how long you've had him, etc. Is this weight-induced diabetes? If it was one of my official people I would move heaven and earth to treat them. I'm one of those crazies that always makes sure I either have money set aside for animal emergencies or have someone I KNOW (because I asked them ahead of time) will let me borrow the money if needed. That said, I also have a close friend who took on a cat that the owner didn't want because we diagnosed him as diabetic. She shortly learned that he was not the friendliest of cats so she opted to euthanize him and apply her money and resources to fostering friendlier, more placeable kitties.
You said that this was Smokey's initial bloodwork. So there will be further testing done? Perhaps something will change. 305 isn't astronomically high. Has your vet mentioned the role that his diet plays in regulating the glucose? For some cats, being on a prescription diet specially designed for diabetic cats will help their levels become regular, their glucose essentially being controlled by diet.
Once a cat's glucose is regulated they aren't as expensive to care for. (BTW, what is the up-front $1000 for?) It's the regular testing and re-testing at the beginning that's costly. Insulin isn't cheap, but it's not too bad. I do want to mention that occasionally, once a cat has been regulated for a bit, some cats will begin to regulate themselves again and become non-diabetic, requiring no more treatment. It's important to keep getting those glucose levels checked to make sure everything's ok, but my ex-boss was always very careful to stress to clients that they should NOT plan on their cat becoming non-diabetic -- that they should just plan on their cat being diabetic for life.
If you do opt to not treat him and let him live with the diabetes, make sure you are prepared to make the right decision when he starts to feel sick. If he's mildly diabetic he might have some time left untreated, but it does take a toll on the body. I'm only guessing here, since I've not met anyone who opted not to treat, but I don't think it would be long before he feels bad since he's already showing symptoms.
:Well, I've been with Smokey for 3 weeks now and his initial blood work seriously indicates diabeties. His Glucose level was 305. What to do? I wasn't prepared for anything that was going to cost me $1000 up front. So I'm faced with two choices: either not treating him or putting him down. I'm having a hard time accepting that I could do either one. But yet, I don't feel that I have any other wise alternitives. Are there any others?
:I worked for a vet years ago and assisted in over 100 Euthanasia's, but have only ever put one of my cats down, and her quality of life was diminished to the point that it was more merciful to put her to sleep. How can I put a cat down just because I can't pay for the treatment? It doesn't seem right.
:Also I've considered not treating his diabeties. Realistically, what chances does he have to live well for a few more years untreated? My vet says that he's healthy right now. He just drinks and urinates more than normal. Is this a viable option, or is it cruel?